Beijing called such moves a manifestation of a “Cold War mentality”
China considers statements on the development of a new NATO strategic concept aimed at deterring China and Russia as a manifestation of a Cold War mentality. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said this at a regular briefing on Thursday.
“I believe this is another demonstration of the Cold War mentality”, – she said when asked by TASS to comment on NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s statement that the alliance’s new strategic concept, to be adopted in 2021, should be aimed at containing China and Russia.
According to the diplomat, China is a “global peace builder” and its development “provides opportunities for the whole world”. She said the PRC “will continue to firmly pursue the path of peaceful development.”
She expressed the hope that NATO will keep an open eye on China’s development. As Hua Chunying stressed, “In today’s world, the Cold War mentality will lead nowhere.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a news conference on the first day of the NATO defense ministerial meeting that a new strategic concept of NATO is to be adopted at the NATO summit in 2021, which will be aimed at deterring China and Russia. He said NATO’s 2010 strategic concept “meets the needs of the alliance well,” but “does not take into account the changing balance of power and the rise of China and climate change.” He also noted that the document should take into account the new approach to Russia. The secretary general stressed that NATO must become a platform for political dialogue for all the countries “with the same mindset as the alliance countries” to counteract Moscow and Beijing.
The NATO Defence Ministers’ videoconference is being held on Wednesday and Thursday via closed-circuit. There are three main topics on the agenda. The first is whether to honour the US agreement with the Taliban (banned in Russia) to withdraw all foreign troops from Afghanistan by May 1. The second is a discussion of NATO’s 2030 program and the beginning of development of the alliance’s new strategic concept, in which Russia and, for the first time, China are once again to be declared NATO’s principal adversaries. The third is a discussion of further increases in military expenditures by the alliance countries and an expansion of new weapons purchases, which the U.S. demands of its allies, despite the economic losses from the coronavirus pandemic.